The present invention is directed to a removable cartridge disk drive capable of selectively receiving a cartridge containing a disk for storing data which disk can be accessed by the disk drive for writing data to the disk and reading data from the disk.
As the demand for smaller, portable and more powerful computers accelerates, less and less space can be afforded to disk memory storage. However, higher memory capacities are desired for this ever-shrinking form factor. One method of accomplishing higher memory capacities is to provide for a removable cartridge disk drive such that any number of removable cartridges can be used to store as much data as is required for use with the computer. Additionally, this data can be secured in a safe location remote from the computer in order to ensure the confidentiality of the data when the computer is not in use.
In order to accommodate the ever-decreasing form factor desirable for the configuration of a hard disk drive, there is a need to make both the removable cartridge and the disk drive as compact as possible yet offer a cartridge and disk drive design which can operate repeatedly and reliably in order to have the cartridge accepted into the disk drive and allow the disk drive to access data stored in the cartridge.
In such a removable cartridge disk drive, it is desirable to have as few moving parts as possible and to have these parts coordinated and synchronized in such a way that the loading and unloading of the cartridge and the accessibility of the data by a read/write head or transducer mounted in the disk drive is efficiently accomplished. It is further desirable to have the movement of the parts coordinated in such a manner that the entire operation of the disk drive can be performed with as few as possible operating levers or mechanisms for the user to be concerned with.
In order to accommodate the ever decreasing form factor desirable for the configuration of a hard disk drive, there is a need to make the cartridge as compact as possible yet allow for an appropriate door mechanism enabling the read/write heads from the disk drive to enter the cartridge and to unload onto the disk containing the data.
In addition, there needs to be a cartridge configuration that cannot be inadvertently inserted into the drive in an incorrect manner and which can be positively interlocked with the drive. Thus, proper alignment is accomplished with the heads with respect to the disk so that the heads can be loaded onto the disk without damage to either the heads or the disk.
In addition, the cartridge, by its very nature, needs to have a port for access by the read/write head. This port needs to be as large as possible in order to allow access by the heads and also not to restrict the design of the head actuators and the drive itself.
The disk contained in the cartridge is mounted on a hub, which hub is provided through a port in the cartridge so that it can be engaged with the spindle motor of the drive, in order to impart rotational movement to the disk. As the cartridge is not hermetically sealed from the outside environment, there needs to be provided a mechanism for minimizing environmental contamination from collecting in the cartridge and causing interference between the head and disk, and potentially damage to the head or data on the disk.
The present invention is directed to a removable cartridge disk drive which can preferably receive a removable cartridge housing a disk which has a diameter of about 3.5 inches or less and which contains about 105 megabytes of data or more and meet all of the below-listed objectives.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide for a disk drive which is compact and has as few moving parts as possible, the functioning of such moving parts being coordinated by as few user manipulated levers or controls as possible.
It is an object of the present invention to provide for an operating mechanism which can control the loading and unloading of the cartridge with respect to the disk drive as well as the engagement of a spindle motor to cause the disk inside of the disk drive to spin.
Further, it is an object to provide for the operating mechanism to control the position of the read/write transducer which is located on an actuator arm. The transducer should be positioned out of the way when the cartridge is being inserted and removed, but allowed to project through an opening in the cartridge loaded in the drive in order to access data from a disk.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to have the operating mechanism control the locking of the cartridge into the disk drive and the ejection of the cartridge from the disk drive in a manner such that the read/write transducers and the disk, and the data stored on the disk are not compromised or damaged in any respect.
Additionally, it is an object of the present invention to have all of the above functions principally performed by a single operating mechanism which is convenient for the user to use and which can be performed by the user in a logically sequenced manner.
The present invention is directed to accomplishing the needs recognized in the prior art.
In accordance with the invention, a removable cartridge for a disk drive includes a housing, a data storage disk, a mechanism for rotatably mounting the disk in the housing, and a housing door. The cartridge further includes a device for removably mounting the door relative to the housing so that the door is removable between a closed position and an open position. With the door in the open position, the door is positioned in a plane which is parallel to the disk and located substantially within the housing.
With such a configuration, with the door received in a plane parallel to the disk, the opening port uncovered by the door can be larger than openings with prior art cartridges. With an enlarged port, the heads can have increased access to the disk in the cartridge allowing for greater freedom of the design of the drive. Further, with the door received in the housing of the cartridge itself, the cartridge receiver defined by the disk drive can be reduced in size by the size of the door and thus the overall dimensions of the drive can be reduced.
In another aspect of the invention, the device for removably mounting the door includes a first surface which is adapted for engaging a finger from the drive in order to cause the door to pivot from the close to the open position and a second surface which engages a second finger from the drive in order to hold the door in the open position once it has been inserted into the drive.
In addition, the cartridge includes a locking device for locking the mounting device with the door in the closed position. Upon insertion into the drive, the finger of the drive causes the locking mechanism to unlock the mounting device so that the door can be pivoted by the finger to the open position.
In another aspect of the invention, the cartridge includes a recess which extends along and then across the direction of insertion of the cartridge into the drive in order to lockingly engage the cartridge in the drive. The recess is located immediately adjacent to the mounting device for the door so as not to reduce the available space for the port through the cartridge for allowing access by the heads.
In another aspect of the invention, the cartridge includes a beveled surface which is opposite the groove for assisting in the proper insertion and registration of the cartridge in the receiver of the drive. Still further, the cartridge includes tabs extending from the back thereof in order to prevent, along with the beveled surface, the cartridge from being inserted in an improper orientation.
The cartridge further includes recesses along the side thereof for purposes of allowing the cartridge to be handled by a mechanical feeding mechanism for insertion and removal from the drive.
In another aspect of the invention, the internal surface of the cartridge housing includes spiral fins for causing air to be pumped toward the hub. During the normal operation of the drive, with the disk spinning at a high rate of angular velocity, the disk tends to draw air from the space about the cartridge receiver through the annular opening between the hub and the cartridge and into the cartridge, potentially exposing the heads and/or the disk to contamination and damage. The spiral fins cause air to flow toward the hub and counter or stagnate the ability air and contaminates to be drawn into the cartridge interior adjacent to the hub.
From the above, it can be seen that the present invention addresses the concerns with respect to the prior art and provides for a cartridge with the desired form factor.
The present invention also includes a removable cartridge disk drive for receiving a cartridge containing a disk for storing data and mounted for rotation inside of the cartridge. The disk drive includes a housing and a receiver for receiving a cartridge in the housing. Further, the disk drive includes an actuator arm mounted in the housing for moving a read/write transducer relative to a cartridge received in the receiver in order to transfer data between the transducer and the disk in the cartridge. The disk drive includes a spindle motor mounted in the housing and adapted for causing the disk to spin when the cartridge is received by the receiver. Further, the disk drive includes a device for transporting the motor between a disk engaging position and a disk non-engaging position and also a device for retracting the actuator arm to a retracted position out of the way a cartridge and for releasing the actuator to a released position so that it can be used to transfer data to and from the disk. The disk drive includes a mechanism for operating the device for transporting the motor and the device for retracting the actuator arm in order to position the motor between the engaging and non-engaging positions and to position the actuator arm between a retracted and released position.
In another aspect of the invention, the operating device is for additionally causing the ejection of the cartridge from the disk drive.
In still a further aspect of the present invention, devices are provided for locking the operating device in a position with the cartridge operably positioned in the disk drive.
In still a further aspect of the invention, all of the above operations are performed in an appropriate sequence by a single operating mechanism with a single operating lever extending therefrom. The operating mechanism includes a lever which can extend out of the housing for operating the disk drive and the operating mechanism includes a pivotally mounted arrangement having several camming and engaging surfaces, which arrangement is pivoted by the lever and which operates the disk drive in accordance with the above description in the desired sequential manner.